Sports Pack no longer worth it....

James636 · 07-10-2005, 10:01 AM

The DirecTV Sports Pack is pretty much worthless when:

a) It consists of 80% Fox Sports Net channels, all of which show the same awful programming (pool, poker, "The Worst Damn Show on Television,"cheerleading, "The Sports List," etc.)

b) When something worthwhile is on one of the regional sports networks (particularly college football classics on the Sunshine Network), it is blacked out. This just started happening about a year ago. As far as I know, the only sports telecasting rights that exist are for live sporting events, not the LSU-Florida game played in October 2004 or a Florida State game played in 1995. If there indeed are blackout restrictions on these game replays, it's an absolute crock. But my guess is that Rupert Turdoch wants you to watch FSN if you're looking for sports.

c) I was an NHL Center Ice subscriber for a couple years, and this used to allow me to see game replays late at night. I could go out at night, come home, and have three or four of that night's hockey games to watch, because many of the regional sports networks re-air the games a couple of hours after they're over. However, this has changed. I have MLB Extra Innings this year, and now all replays are blacked out, even though I'm paying $160 for the package and assumed that replays would be part of it. Once again, the reason is because Rupert (may he die of Alzheimer's) wants me to watch the inane programming of FSN. I assume it's the same now for all sports.

This is what happens when the carrier and the channels are "corporate cousins." The carrier pushes the viewer to watch the channels in which it has an ownership interest, and blocks worthwhile programming on competing networks that it happens to carry. What is The Sunshine Network worth to me if I can't see the college football replays? What are NESN, MSG, and YES worth to me if I can't watch hockey and baseball replays? I'm paying for all of them as part of the sports pack. What is FSN worth to me if all twenty-plus FSN channels show the same horrendous crap, with no alternative? It's a scam. Piss on News Corp.

Smthkd · 07-10-2005, 08:15 PM

Someone who finally feels the same as I do! I dont see any justification for D* even charging us for this anymore! The sports pack should be free because we never get to see any sports, they are always "blacked out"!

wrekkah · 07-11-2005, 08:46 PM

Unfortunately I have to get the sports pack in order to get NESN so I can watch most of the Red Sox games.

James636 · 07-16-2005, 11:59 AM

If you live in the Boston area, wouldn't NESN be something you'd be able to get with just a basic package? That's the way it works with FSN Midwest here in St. Louis.

RMCK104 · 07-16-2005, 06:12 PM

I was about to call and get the NFL package for the coming season.Even thought it is hard to get into 13 games at once.But my 9ers are not going to very good so.I thought I would pick New England,or a couple of good NFL teams I would enjoy on Sunday or Monday.Then I check out the price and the 99.00 HD charge when I already pay $3.99 & $4.99 for my two High Def hookup's and now you want me to pay $99.00 for HD hook up on all lNFL games.I think D*TV is just too greedy when I aready pay for my high def hook up.I hate to do this but comcast might just get a new customer. It just is very disapointing for D*tv to do this.The good thing I can handle the NFL in the plain old package.One game in the A.m & 0ne in P.M. and one Sunday night. D*TV you're just to greedy for this guy..I hope more

folks feel like I do.DISGUSTED. RMCK104

i

bigjdotcom01 · 07-20-2005, 05:47 AM

I dumped the Sports Pack when they took the Golf Channel off of it without telling anyone! D* Sports Pack is a complete waste of money unless you enjoy watching channels that say, "This programming is blacked out......" and watching a black screen.

IMO it is a big waste of $12 to get it. If something is on that I want to watch and it is not blacked out, I can order the Sports Pack for that show, then cancel afterwards and I get a partial Sports Pack bill of 1/30 of $12 or $.40 on my next bill.

spiderman865 · 07-20-2005, 08:14 AM

If you think it's a waste, then cancel it. No one is holding a gun to your head saying you have to buy it!

DanP · 07-20-2005, 09:31 AM

Yeah, it's pretty much a waste. The only reason I'm subscribing is to watch the old hometown sports news. I might ditch that soon though 'cause they are way overcharging for it.

calicogang · 07-20-2005, 08:36 PM

As for HD NFL, I am not going to renew my package just because of the cost and the additional cost for hd. I still will get to watch the games on fox and CBS and HD from both coasts for free. YEA

ovredcoat · 07-21-2005, 09:57 PM

How are you getting H.D. feeds from both coasts?
I called D* and they say if you live in eastern or central time zones, all you are allowed is the N.Y. feed, while people in the Mountain and Western time zone get the L.A. networks.
They say it is a newer FCC ruling...........you must be grandfathered in.
Very frustrating, because I was going to get both Fox and CBS H.D. feeds (East and West) and cancel Sunday Ticket.

ovredcoat · 07-22-2005, 03:11 PM

*Update*
I called D* again, this time with some info I found on the FCC/shvera website.
Once again D* told me I could not have the network H.D. west feeds (ABC, CBS, Fox) because I lived in the east (WV). I do qualify for the DNS for the networks out of N.Y.
D* said if you live in the east or central time zone , you can only get the N.Y. feed, and if you live in the Mountain or western time zone, you can only get the L.A. feed.
I told them that shvera says you cannot have a network if it is earlier than your time zone (like someone out west getting an east feed), but I should qualify for the west feed.
They put me on hold and come back and finally said ok.
My question is, I'm not going to lose those west feeds on August 1st, am I? I keep reading and hearing about August 1st, some people are going to lose some network feeds (could that be people that can get their locals from D*?!)

Fl_Gulfer · 07-22-2005, 03:31 PM

Someone is pulling your leg, I just got the waivers oked for CBS & FOX, and get both east & west feeds in HD and SD.

07-10-2005, 10:01 AM	#1
James636 High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 35	Sports Pack no longer worth it.... The DirecTV Sports Pack is pretty much worthless when: a) It consists of 80% Fox Sports Net channels, all of which show the same awful programming (pool, poker, "The Worst Damn Show on Television,"cheerleading, "The Sports List," etc.) b) When something worthwhile is on one of the regional sports networks (particularly college football classics on the Sunshine Network), it is blacked out. This just started happening about a year ago. As far as I know, the only sports telecasting rights that exist are for live sporting events, not the LSU-Florida game played in October 2004 or a Florida State game played in 1995. If there indeed are blackout restrictions on these game replays, it's an absolute crock. But my guess is that Rupert Turdoch wants you to watch FSN if you're looking for sports. c) I was an NHL Center Ice subscriber for a couple years, and this used to allow me to see game replays late at night. I could go out at night, come home, and have three or four of that night's hockey games to watch, because many of the regional sports networks re-air the games a couple of hours after they're over. However, this has changed. I have MLB Extra Innings this year, and now all replays are blacked out, even though I'm paying $160 for the package and assumed that replays would be part of it. Once again, the reason is because Rupert (may he die of Alzheimer's) wants me to watch the inane programming of FSN. I assume it's the same now for all sports. This is what happens when the carrier and the channels are "corporate cousins." The carrier pushes the viewer to watch the channels in which it has an ownership interest, and blocks worthwhile programming on competing networks that it happens to carry. What is The Sunshine Network worth to me if I can't see the college football replays? What are NESN, MSG, and YES worth to me if I can't watch hockey and baseball replays? I'm paying for all of them as part of the sports pack. What is FSN worth to me if all twenty-plus FSN channels show the same horrendous crap, with no alternative? It's a scam. Piss on News Corp. Last edited by James636; 07-10-2005 at 10:05 AM.

07-16-2005, 06:12 PM	#5
RMCK104 High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Northern Calif. Posts: 112	*DTV is just too Greedy,Greedy,Greedy one the NFL** I was about to call and get the NFL package for the coming season.Even thought it is hard to get into 13 games at once.But my 9ers are not going to very good so.I thought I would pick New England,or a couple of good NFL teams I would enjoy on Sunday or Monday.Then I check out the price and the 99.00 HD charge when I already pay $3.99 & $4.99 for my two High Def hookup's and now you want me to pay $99.00 for HD hook up on all lNFL games.I think DTV is just too greedy when I aready pay for my high def hook up.I hate to do this but comcast might just get a new customer. It just is very disapointing for Dtv to do this.The good thing I can handle the NFL in the plain old package.One game in the A.m & 0ne in P.M. and one Sunday night. D*TV you're just to greedy for this guy..I hope more folks feel like I do.DISGUSTED. RMCK104 i

07-10-2005, 08:15 PM	#2
Smthkd Vick missed as a Falcon! Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 1,270	Someone who finally feels the same as I do! I dont see any justification for D* even charging us for this anymore! The sports pack should be free because we never get to see any sports, they are always "blacked out"!

07-11-2005, 08:46 PM	#3
wrekkah My plasma is High Def. Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 9	Unfortunately I have to get the sports pack in order to get NESN so I can watch most of the Red Sox games.

07-16-2005, 11:59 AM	#4
James636 High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 35	If you live in the Boston area, wouldn't NESN be something you'd be able to get with just a basic package? That's the way it works with FSN Midwest here in St. Louis.

07-20-2005, 05:47 AM	#6
bigjdotcom01 Reefer? I barely know her Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 67	I dumped the Sports Pack when they took the Golf Channel off of it without telling anyone! D* Sports Pack is a complete waste of money unless you enjoy watching channels that say, "This programming is blacked out......" and watching a black screen. IMO it is a big waste of $12 to get it. If something is on that I want to watch and it is not blacked out, I can order the Sports Pack for that show, then cancel afterwards and I get a partial Sports Pack bill of 1/30 of $12 or $.40 on my next bill.

07-20-2005, 08:14 AM	#7
spiderman865 High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Here & There Posts: 113	If you think it's a waste, then cancel it. No one is holding a gun to your head saying you have to buy it!

07-20-2005, 09:31 AM	#8
DanP High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: May 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 156	Yeah, it's pretty much a waste. The only reason I'm subscribing is to watch the old hometown sports news. I might ditch that soon though 'cause they are way overcharging for it.

07-20-2005, 08:36 PM	#9
calicogang High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 473	As for HD NFL, I am not going to renew my package just because of the cost and the additional cost for hd. I still will get to watch the games on fox and CBS and HD from both coasts for free. YEA

07-21-2005, 09:57 PM	#10
ovredcoat H.D. sports lover Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Mineral Wells, WV 26150 Age: 47 Posts: 58	How are you getting H.D. feeds from both coasts? I called D* and they say if you live in eastern or central time zones, all you are allowed is the N.Y. feed, while people in the Mountain and Western time zone get the L.A. networks. They say it is a newer FCC ruling...........you must be grandfathered in. Very frustrating, because I was going to get both Fox and CBS H.D. feeds (East and West) and cancel Sunday Ticket.

07-22-2005, 03:11 PM	#11
ovredcoat H.D. sports lover Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Mineral Wells, WV 26150 Age: 47 Posts: 58	Update I called D* again, this time with some info I found on the FCC/shvera website. Once again D* told me I could not have the network H.D. west feeds (ABC, CBS, Fox) because I lived in the east (WV). I do qualify for the DNS for the networks out of N.Y. D* said if you live in the east or central time zone , you can only get the N.Y. feed, and if you live in the Mountain or western time zone, you can only get the L.A. feed. I told them that shvera says you cannot have a network if it is earlier than your time zone (like someone out west getting an east feed), but I should qualify for the west feed. They put me on hold and come back and finally said ok. My question is, I'm not going to lose those west feeds on August 1st, am I? I keep reading and hearing about August 1st, some people are going to lose some network feeds (could that be people that can get their locals from D*?!)

07-22-2005, 03:31 PM	#12
Fl_Gulfer High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Florida Gulf Beach Age: 56 Posts: 187	Someone is pulling your leg, I just got the waivers oked for CBS & FOX, and get both east & west feeds in HD and SD.